ACE-FX Review

ACE-FX is a small, competitive UK-based market leading bureau de change and currency exchange company with two branches in Canary Wharf: one at Cabot Place and another at Canada Place shopping mall and a third at London Bridge.

The small London firm offers a variety of local UK services that compete with post office currency buy back services and high street banks exchange rates.

ACE-FX will buy currency at 8% more than Post Office rates.

Can offer international transfer rates typically 1% to 4% less than banks.

ACE-FX is in competition with other bureau de change firms in London, not with foreign exchange companies: ‘ACE-FX will buy and sell cheaper than any other bureau de change in London…offering better rates than the UK’s leading High Street Banks, Airport and High Street Bureau de Changes, Marks and Spencer, The Post Office, Sainsbury’s and even speciality banknote suppliers like Travelex and Thomas Cook.

ACE-FX stocks all major currencies available in store branches. However, if a currency is not currently in stock, 3 times a day delivery service guarantees currency by the end of the day of order.

Partnered with MoneyCorp, ACE- FX promises to provide customers’ money transfers at the most competitive rates in the UK.

Services include:

Rate Alerts by mobile or email

Money transfers to over 100 countries worldwide

Online payment services available 24/7, 365 days a year

Dedicated account managers

ACE-FX runs an in branch, by post and a postal currency delivery service for anyone in the UK, with next day delivery service

Prepaid Currency Cards:

ACE-FX pre-paid Euro MasterCard, ACE-FX pre-paid Dollar MasterCard and ACE-FX pre-paid Global MasterCard ( using GBP) are issued online with a fee of £9.95 or free loading for over £1,000 or a currency equivalent.

Collecting from any of 3 London branches the fee is reduced to £4.95 or free loading for over £750

Each has a daily loading limit of £10 minimum and £5,000 maximum

Personal Money Transfers:

No transfer fees

All International payments made

Regular payments or just a one-off

Save 1% to 4% compared to your bank

Transfer money online 24/7

Business Money Transfers:

Bank beating exchange rates

Expert guidance on foreign exchange markets

Spot contracts

Forwards

Contract options and market orders

International transfers using debit card

Association with MoneyCorp , one of the largest UK foreign exchange companies, gives ACE-FX the regulation necessary to compete in the London foreign exchange marketplace.

Website:

Despite the high TRUSTPILOT rating at the top of the homepage, the website really establishes ACE-FX as a provider of services which include, but don’t focus primarily on foreign exchange. Range of products makes the site feel very much like a shop with products set out on the shelves.

Currency exchange rates on homepage compare £10,000 taken Nov, 2015 with bank rates from HSBC,RBS, NatWest and MoneyCorp- showing a savings ACE-FX promises- to deliver at its branches. Business services are listed amongst the offerings although there is no evidence given to show how a dedicated dealer could maintain a relationship with such a client, given the store front mechanism in place with ACE-FX.

For Londoners, ACE-FX makes sense as a service providing spot transfers, currency cards and for selling back foreign currency. Many clients enjoy popping into branch offices, others find delivery service convenient. For those used to Post Office and bank transfers, ACE-FX offers an improvement in rates. With less overhead, it appears that ACE-FX might be able to offer highly competitive spot transfer rates for UK (most especially London) clients.

Although business services are offered, ACE-FX is hardly equipped to assist business with complex contract options and dedicated services that meets the industry standard. Affiliated with MoneyCorp isn’t the same as being able to duplicate their partner’s global services.for best rates on currency cards, bureau de change and currency exchange services.

Reviews:

ACE-FX has a 9.6 out of 10 rating on TRUSTPILOT with 6,355 reviews. These are all from local users making spot transactions who find the branches easy to pop into and the delivery service an additional bonus. For these customers, ACE-FX’s branch offices serve well to issue cash in a variety of currencies, a convenience for those nearby who don’t wish to pay any bank fees.

Editor’s Review: When seen as a bureau de change, ACE-FX works well to provide a range of services to walk-in clients in London. The notion of approaching a desk to exchange money suits clients familiar with post office and bank services. In this sense ACE-FX isn’t strictly a foreign currency exchange company but rather a hybrid with a pastiche of products on offer. We can’t rate it for any corporate, eCommerce or other business functionality, which don’t exist.

3.5 out of 5 stars-for ACE-FX ‘s branches offering services which include spot transfers and buying back foreign currency among other products.

Pros

Currency cards for travel are a useful service.

Cons

Very limited marketplace, really just for customers near to London Bridge and Canary Wharf .